Portland, Oregon, 1958

We’re finding vintage images all over the place nowadays. Today’s comes from the i am so retro tumblog and depicts a parking lot scene in Portland, Oregon, in 1958. We’re looking for a larger version as we speak, but at this size, you should be able to pick out the identities of most of the vehicles in the image. For you Portland people, perhaps you can pinpoint the place?

Pete Madsensays:

June 23, 2011 11:02 pm

rezmansays:

June 23, 2011 11:38 pm

Over across the street is a ’58 Mercury wagon, but next to it on the leftdark blue car looks more square ’60’s style….straight rear bumper, chrome vertical taillight housings, a hint of fins…..’63 Caddy maybe?

kentuckyGuysays:

June 24, 2011 8:21 am

Agree with REZMAN, the blue car does have an early 60’s GM look. Like an Olds or Pontiac? But it’s the only 60’s looking car in the whole shot, so that would be odd. Cool photo though. Is the third car to the left of the Corvette a 1960 Lincoln, perhaps?

Edward Hartingsays:

October 26, 2011 8:27 pm

Jim Kahnsays:

January 3, 2015 11:09 pm

Actually, the location is SW 2nd Avenue…SW Oak Street is just to the right and SW Stark is to the left…the immediate parking lot, in the foreground, became a City Center Parking lot in the mid-60’s and the parking lot across the street, just under the two billboards became an APCOA (Airport Parking Company Of America) parking lot right around the same time. To one’s right…just barely, one can see the Portland Police Station and if one were to travel West, up Oak Street, The Portland Outdoor Store would be on your right…on the corner of 3rd and SW Oak Street. The small green sign, jutting out, just to the right of the two large billboards was a bail bonds company/office…just the right location…being just across the street from the police station and where one went to “settle” their traffic tickets!

Oh…the black Ford sedan, just behind the Mercury is parked curb-side on the East side of SW 2nd…the orange Jeep wagon is parked on the West side of SW 2nd.

Of the two billboards, the one on the left, advertising Blitz Country, was removed in the late 60’s, leaving only a single billboard sign for advertising.

And now, before anyone asks how I know…I used to manage that APCOA parking lot, from the fall of 1968 to early 1970…